Oh, I bet they hold you (as they do me) in the highest esteem...I bet you're considered "Current Occupant"!

Thanks Mark, me too!

I've been casually following all of the MoCA posts but I need to do a little more research. The TiVo's (and everything else) are hard wired/Ethernet, but I do have a couple laptops that need WiFi now and then. I have a D-Link Extreme N wireless router that the tech said I could use instead of using theirs. Guess I'll have to look at how MoCA would work or if it makes sense for me...soon!

From your lips to VZ's ears!

Rich,

I know Comcast loves me...I just got back from a few errands to a message from the County Cable Administration about the complaint I filed against Comcast. If they can continue to bug me, I can continue to bug them! (BTW, the actually DID finally disconnect me this AM, it only took 2 weeks).

If you aren't using any of their set top boxes and you have them wire the ONT to your router via ethernet, there really is no need for MoCA (or their router). From what I've seen, they are using a Westell in the great Northwest, and some have claimed it is better the Actiontec deployed here in former Bell Atlantic territory. It does seem to have some issues with VPN's, so if you don't need it for their STB's you can avoid it altogether. If you do need it, and can easily connect your router to the ONT with ethernet, use the Westell in bridge mode to your router for MoCA for the STBs. Reports of interference by the MoCA channels have really decreased and that setup would only use the LAN channel, no WAN channel needed. Another method would be to use a NIM 100 (if the installer has one) from an ethernet port on your router to put the MoCA on the cable for the STBs. That would avoid having to do any setup on the Westell if you don't need router/switch/access point funtionality from it. With my layout and available cabling, going with MoCA to the router was the path of least resistance and seems to be working fine.

Motorola ONT1000JI. The JI apparently stands for "Just Inside", it's a fully integrated unit used for indoor installations - mine is in my basement utility room. It is a pretty good looking unit.

I have two TIVO HD's and one Verizon/Motorola STB installed.

I have no attenuators installed and zero problems with pixelation.

I did have the installer provision ethernet to the router, although the Verizon STB still connects to the network through the router, over coax.

Verizon gave me a Westell router, which I have since replaced with my own Linksys router. The Linksys is faster. I've got the Westell hanging off the Linksys for the sole purpose of giving the Verizon STB internet access. No need to bridge the Westell, just release your IP address and put your own router in it's place.

Someday I will get another TIVO and get rid of the Verizon STB and Westell router all together.

I've done a bunch of speed tests (though not recently), and I pretty consistently get within 5% (plus or minus) of the quoted 20 mbps. The best way I can think of to test "real world" speeds that high is to install a bittorrent client (such as utorrent), then cue up about 4 different linux distributions. Let the client open as many connections as it wants, and then set them all the files downloading simultaneously, and you'll be getting a METRIC TON of peers. I think I remember seeing at least 15 mbps down at one time using that technique.

BTW... I'm not sure when I last saw pixellation. I'm considering dropping my attenuation down form 6 to 3dB to see how that works.

I pretty consistently get within 5% of the advertised speeds as well. I've done a few speed tests for various neighbors that have FiOS, and we're all getting right at the same speed.

Knock on wood, but I haven't had any pixellation problems in quite a while. I think they really have been working on the problem.

Bought a THD at Sears, special price; only one was the display, so no box, no cards, no Cablecard instructions, but I did get a manual. FiOS installer coming Friday with M-series cablecard - is there somewhere on the web I can get the install instructions to give him?
BTW the Tivo was sick and a new (refurb?) is being cross-shipped, arriving tomorrow. Presuming I need to install it asap to get the 11.x software!

Didn't see anywhere on the Tivo site to print the cable card instructions ..........

Last edited by rf75 : 04-14-2009 at 04:23 PM.
Reason: make clear what I'm hoping to hear

Be sure he follows every step carefully and doesn't try to skip over or combine anything. If followed correctly you should be up and running in no time.

TiVo is shipped with the software that was available at the time it was manufactured and will generally be older than the current software release. You should see an automatic upgrade to the current software and all of its features within 48 to 72 hours (usually less). TiVo's priority is to first get all of your guide data, then to upgrade the software.

You can try to force an upgrade by going to Messages & Settings->Settings->Phone & Network->Connect now. Try that a few times. Once the download has completed you may see "Pending restart" listed in the “Last Status” line on the Phone & Network Screen or on the System Information screen. TiVo will automatically install the upgrade at 2 a.m. your time or you can reboot it (unplug it and plug it back in) and it will update immediately.

Just called Verizon Fios about cablecards for two Tivo HD boxes. Was told that in my area (Ventura County) I would need 4 cards so they must still be dumping the S-Cards here. I Couldn't place the order since I originally ordered a Home Media upgrade and new HD reveiver for second tv and that order is still pending. I couldn't believe they sent me the same old quirky QIP 6416 DVR and so I am switching to TIVO on both TV sets. It is outrageous that I have to pay for a total of 4 S-cards at double the lease price. However, I'll do anything to avoid paying a bloated lease fee for the inadequate QIP 6416 DVR.

Boy...you guys are strict...um...I mean good! I wasn't trying to slide. I just wanted to give the new setup some time settle in and to to see if it was going to do something unexpected or perhaps expected before reporting back.

FIOS is four by four as they say and all systems are go! I'll post a more in-depth "review" of the install (all was not perfect, but eventually things were made right) in a couple of days or so.

At the moment phone, broadband and most importantly TV are just about perfect. (Hope that didn't jinx anything ) No attenuation and no A/V issues at all. Woo hoo! I haven't had the chance to view all of the channels at length of course (might take a lifetime) but the one's that have been recorded are showing no signs of any problems and skimming through some others looked good as well. I know it's been less than 48 hours, but one can only hope for the best.

If you end up like me I've limited my exposure to pixelation issues by dropping most channels from my favorites listing. I basically use my OTA for locals and FiOS only for sports channels and Discovery channels. Even with the original, hot signal ONT I'm not having to use attenuation other than the provided attic splitter (even before modifying my favorites listing).

The backstory (shortened): Was going to switch to Fios, have Series 2 Tivos. They came, installed everything but couldn't complete install. Needed to come back. In the meantime I realized I would lose the dual tuner option with my TiVo. Cancelled the install.

Decided that I want Fios. I got an Series 3 HD Tivo which I believe I read would work. But with what? What do I need to ask Verizon for to get want I need. M-Cards? S-Cards? -- I have no idea what either of these are. Not technical.

Also reading something about ONT??? Not sure what that is either. Can someone help me?

Also if anyone could tell me if there's anything else I will need to make my TiVo's work or need to tell the Verizon people that I may be unaware of.

Thank you!

As previously stated, the original Series 3 requires two cards (single or multi stream). A TiVo HD or HD-XL can use one multi-stream (M) card for both tuners. Your original post said you have an "HD", so if that is the case, you need to tell Verizon that you need an M card. Recent posts (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...d.php?t=386864 have been that is all they are deploying now, since Motorola discontinued single stream cards over a year ago.

The ONT is an "optical network terminal", the white or grey box Verizon uses to convert the fiber to internet, phone and video. They furnish that as part of the install and will hook it to your cabling.

If you have been using your Series 2 with a phone line, you can use that with the HD, but you should consider using ethernet or a wireless adapter.

Also if anyone could tell me if there's anything else I will need to make my TiVo's work or need to tell the Verizon people that I may be unaware of.

Thank you!

The one main thing I would suggest, before your install, is to make sure you go through your guided setup on new Tivo HD several days before the M-card installation. If after a day you don't have software version 11.x, force it to connect again to download the latest software. (And as someone previously said, it will be much faster/easier if you hook it up with a wireless adapter.)

Finally, when they come to do the M-card install, make sure they follow the detailed instructions that Tivo supplies with the Tivo HD. If they do that, it should go very smoothly. (At least mine did.)

And lastly, don't get confused between the early Series 3 Tivos and the Tivo HD. The new Tivo HD uses Series 3 technology (and even says "series 3" on the box in the description), but the new Tivo HD only needs 1 M-card. The old Series 3 Tivo needs 2 cards -- either 2 S- or 2 M-cards.

While I've seen Verizon trucks in my area for months I finally saw a yard sign in my neighbor's yard today and FIOS is ordered. While I'm mostly excited about the internet speeds I had to add the TV package just for the cost.

I've had a Tivo since 2002 and I'm currently with Time Warner. I have 2 Tivo HDs and 1 Series 2 (Single Tuner) box. I'll be moving all 3 over to FIOS.

What should I expect at the install?

What do I need to do with my TIVOs to prep them?
Should I remove the existing CableCards and run setup?

What do I need to do with my TIVOs to prep them?
Should I remove the existing CableCards and run setup?

Can I use a serial cable between the STB and TIVO on my series 2 box?

Woot!
I would take the cable cards out and do a total reset on the TivoHDs. I have no idea if that's really needed, but seems like a good way to clear out the information for the current cards. Then, on all of them, I'd run guided setup and enter your soon-to-arrive FIOS source. You won't be able to test channels, but it will get the tivos thinking in the right direction.

Yes, you can use a serial connection between the Series2 and the Verizon STB, but I found the RF emmiter to be "faster" when doing channel changes and such.

Woot!
I would take the cable cards out and do a total reset on the TivoHDs. I have no idea if that's really needed, but seems like a good way to clear out the information for the current cards. Then, on all of them, I'd run guided setup and enter your soon-to-arrive FIOS source. You won't be able to test channels, but it will get the tivos thinking in the right direction.

Yes, you can use a serial connection between the Series2 and the Verizon STB, but I found the RF emmiter to be "faster" when doing channel changes and such.

When I had my FiOS install done, I didn't remove the cable company cablecards until I was ready to install the FiOS cablecards. I didn't want to miss out on any recordings by pulling out the cards days before my install.

After the ONT install and after my FiOS internet was working, I made sure that my TiVos had an internet connection. Then I pulled out the cable company cablecards and reran guided setup after the FiOS tech confirmed a good signal to the TiVos. During guided setup, we followed TiVo's recommended cablecard install instructions and everything worked fine.

While I don't disagree that wired Ethernet is generally preferable to wireless, it is definitely easier to put in place in many situations, and could be faster. Wireless G at 54mb/s is faster than the original Ethernet standard of 10mb/s, and Wireless N at 300mb/s is faster than the much more common Fast Ethernet standard at 100 mb/s. Obviously Gigabit Ethernet is the fastest of them all.

Just depends on what router you're using.

Besides, unless you're moving recordings back and forth off your TiVo to another device, the only thing you're moving over the network is some pretty small amount of guide data. Even for that, the actual broadband connection is most likely to be your bottleneck, since most will opt for 20mb/s speed, but even the substantially more expensive 50 is, in perfect wireless conditions, slower than the wireless G you're likely to end up with with the Verizon supplied router.

When I had my FiOS install done, I didn't remove the cable company cablecards until I was ready to install the FiOS cablecards. I didn't want to miss out on any recordings by pulling out the cards days before my install.

After the ONT install and after my FiOS internet was working, I made sure that my TiVos had an internet connection. Then I pulled out the cable company cablecards and reran guided setup after the FiOS tech confirmed a good signal to the TiVos. During guided setup, we followed TiVo's recommended cablecard install instructions and everything worked fine.

Since all the channels are changing we will need to setup our Season Passes again....can his be done without having to delete each one individually? Can I do a reset of this without deleting all my recordings.

Since all the channels are changing we will need to setup our Season Passes again....can his be done without having to delete each one individually? Can I do a reset of this without deleting all my recordings.

Your season passes should find the new channel locations. When I switched from Comcast to FiOS, I only redid season passes for shows that were only available on SD channels on Comcast but were available in HD on FiOS.

Since all the channels are changing we will need to setup our Season Passes again....can his be done without having to delete each one individually? Can I do a reset of this without deleting all my recordings.

As sinanju said, you shouldn't need to make any changes to your SP's. TiVo will automatically remap them to the correct channels after FIOS is installed and you've run Guided Setup again (at which time you'll select VZ FIOS as your provider instead of your current provider). All of ours were updated perfectly.